We all know that annoying process that comes before we board our flights. the endless security and incredibly prohibitive rules regarding what we are or aren’t allowed to take with us on a flight. This is the story of how sometimes the best things come in small packages.
A Priceless Item?
When a couple saw a man devastated after he was forced to throw out a problematic parcel in the trash, they couldn’t help but wonder what struck such a chord with the man. When they later found out what it was, they realized they had stumbled upon something incredible.
The ending will leave you in tears:
Bags Packed
The day Tampa Florida resident Ivelise Hernandez was traveling to Pittsburgh was meant to be a regular day. It started off with her boyfriend, Rico Bankston driving her to the airport and accompanying her to the security line.
There was nothing unusual about the beginning of the day, they arrived at the airport and started lining up for security. However, they soon noticed some action happening in the front of the security line. Little did the know, what they would soon find out would impact them for good.
Routine Inconvenience
No one enjoys standing in line at the airport, it is always a frustrating experience. Luckily for Ivelise she had Rico patiently waiting by her side. But what usually is a standard bag inspection was taking longer than usual.
It seemed the security guards had found a man who as trying to take a wrapped package through the security detectors, and they were just not having it. They had pulled him aside for questioning as Rico and Ivelise stood by, listening to the goings on.
Waiting in Vain
While Rico and Ivelise were still unsure what all the chaos was about, it was clear that the holdup was because whatever this man was trying to get through the metal detector was clearly restricted.
But what was also obvious that even though the security had made it clear that the item was restricted, the man was desperate to try his best to get it through. What on earth could have made him so agitated about this package?
Red Flag
The security levels of airports were forever changed after September 11, when the fateful twin towers were destroyed by terrorists. Since then The Transportation Security Authority in the United States, otherwise known as the TSA, upped their security and made incredibly strict guidelines.
There always seems to be another thing added to the list of what is not allowed on a carry-on, and it seemed whatever the man had in his package was a clear red flag to the TS agents on duty at the time.
Strict Requirements
Ever since 9-11, it has become routine to see people rolling their eyes as they stand in security lines at airports listening to the ridiculous requests of TSA agents and having to throw out some totally harmless items before they get the green light to board their flight.
The list of items that aren’t allowed is longer than you can imagine, even things like toothpaste are not permissible if they are larger than a certain size. While most of these items are easy enough to be bought upon arrival, some items are totally irreplaceable. Maybe this was why the man was so concerned about his package.
Escalating Argument
As Ivelise and Rico looked on, they were hearing the poor man grow increasingly desperate. He even asked security if his item could go to the Airport lost and found rather than be forced to through it in the trash.
But the TSA refused downright and coldly demanded that he deposit the package in the nearest trash bin. Ivelise and Rico couldn’t believe what was going on and their hearts went out to the man who looked like he was on the verge of tears.
Tossed Away
No Matter how much he begged and pleaded, it soon became clear that it was all n vain and the TSA agents had no intention of changing their mind. He eventually took the package, tears in his eyes, and tossed it into the trash.
He looked completely defeated as he slowly continued on his way to board his flight. Finally, it was Ivelise’s turn to go through security and say goodbye to her boyfriend, but just before she left, she turned to Rico and made an unusual request.
A Strange Mission
Both Rico and Ivelise were incredibly moved by the sad scene that had gone on before them and was left thinking about the poor man who was forced to throw away his beloved package. So, when Ivelise gave Rico a tight hug goodbye, she whispered a strange request into his ear.
She asked Rico to go to the trash can and go through the rubbish to find the package and discover what was inside it.
Free to Go
Rico was no passing through security so he had the freedom to go to the trash can and take out what he pleased, that is if security had not taken the wrapped package for extra screening.
If they had not touched the package, there would be no problem with Rico taking it out and taking home whatever, he found wrapped up in the mysterious package. Rico easily managed to retrieve the package and left the airport to drive home to Tampa. He could sense this was no ordinary package.
Uneasy On-Board
As you can imagine, Ivelise was left feeling not only shaken by what had happened to the man in the security line, but completely impatient and curious waiting to find out what was in the package.
As soon as the plane touched down, she turned on her phone and called Rico in the hopes of finding out what was in the package. When he told her what it was, she knew exactly what her next actions had to be.
The Discovery
At first, when Rico unwrapped the package, what he discovered was something totally ordinary and nothing to spark up controversy. To the casual observer, it seemed like a simple trinket.
Inside was a snow globe! Rico spent some time turning it over and examining it inch by inch trying to work out what it was about the snow globe that had made the man so torn up to be separated from it, as he turned it around, he realized exactly how valuable it actually was.
A Closer Look
This was not just a regular snow globe that could be purchased at any store, it was personalized! On one side there was a picture of a little girl and a dog, and on the other was a photograph of an elderly couple. The globe also played the song ‘Greensleeves’ if wound.
At the bottom of the glove was an engraving which read We love you Katie. Nana and Papa 1/25/16”. It was not hard to understand this snow globe was of incredible significance and Rico and Ivelise knew exactly what they had to do next.
The Goal
Upon Ivelise return to Florida, she and Rico discussed the snow globe and the fact that there was no way they were going to be as cold as the TSA agents had been. They were going to track down the owner!
It was obvious that this package meant the world to the man who was forced to discard it, and by looking at the snow globe, it was clear it was of family significance too! They had a goal, but how they were going to track him down remained a total mystery.
A Needle in a Haystack
It is not always enough to have good intentions. Rico and Ivelise wanted to do the right thing but finding out the identity and whereabouts of the man seemed like an impossibility.
They had no address, and no clues other than the pet names of the grandparents that were engraved onto the bottom of the snow globe. Their only other lead was the fact that they knew the man as traveling through St. Peter-Clearwater Airport on that February date. They were going to have to come up with something out-of-the-box to help them.
First Steps
We are lucky in today’s day and age that we have social media, which can be a huge help in moments like these. Ivelise took to her Facebook uploading a picture of the globe and all the details she knew in the hopes people would spread the message.
Unfortunately, at this moment this seemed like the one and only way they could go about finding his identity, but already, there was a problem.
Limited Audience
Even though she wrote the post, Ivelise had her misgivings. She had a fair number of friends but it was not as though the Facebook post would be seen by many people. She and Rico were not overly optimistic that their post would yield results.
The couple was relying on their Facebook friend to share the post so that it would reach a wider audience. They both hoped that their posts would get a maximum of 200 shared. They were both very wrong and what happened next would leave them totally shocked.
Viral Campaign
It turned out, both Rico and Ivelise had underestimated the power of a good deed coupled with the magic of the internet. The post went dizzyingly viral in no time and soon took on a life of its own!
After a week, the post had been reposted a whopping 48,000 times and showed no sign of slowing down! Still, it is a huge country and they were not confident about finding the identity of the mystery man.
A Great Step Forward
Their hopes slowly grew as the number of times the post was shared increased by the day. One day, someone came forward with a message. However, it was not a relative or friend of the man who had something to say.
The person actually had nothing to do with the man they were trying to find. She was an employee from a gift shop called Thing Remembered and had something of great importance to say.
Product Identified
The message would help the search greatly, but not from the angle they had thought, the employee may not have had anything to do with the man but having a photographic memory she knew the exact model of the snow globe!
The worker was adamant to assist Ivelise and Rico in their search and sent a message to her company headquarter to try to pinpoint the exact order. What happened next was something out of a movie,
Nailed It
It seemed too good to be true, but low and behold after consulting with headquarters, they located a name- Linda Modry who had ordered the snow globe especially as a gift for her granddaughter Katie, However, due to what occurred at the airport, five-year-old Katie had never received the special gift!
It turned out to be Katie’s dad who was the man at the airport trying desperately to get it delivered to his daughter. Katie had been disappointed she had not received the sentimental gift, but the tides were about to turn!
Homing In
All of a sudden, things seemed to be going at an incredibly fast pace! With the help of the employee, they had a name and a direction to go in. all that was left was for the act of kindness to take place.
From one post on Facebook, they had gone from completely helpless, to find out exactly who and where the neighbor was! But this was not the only exciting twist to the story.
Right Around the Corner
Ivelise and Rico had been waiting impatiently to return the special gift, and low and behold Linda Modry happened to live just around the corner! Things Remembered gave them the address and they could not believe how close they were to the owner of the snow globe.
At this point, word of the incredible story had gone around, and the local news team was excited to capture the moment of the reunion between Ivelise and the snow globe owner and Ivelise was about to learn just how significant this act of kindness really was.
Meeting the Owner
Even though it was the middle of a tropical Florida rainstorm, news teams galore were around to capture the reunion between Ivelise and Linda Modry as she came to her front door in Tampa. The excitement was palpable.
These two women were connected by nothing else other than an incredible act of kindness that all started with a package in the trash can of an airport! Linda, unsure what to expect, knocked on the door of Ivelise’s home.
Joyful Embrace
Ivelise opened the door, smiling from ear to ear and the two instantly fell into each other’s arms. Linda, brimming with gratitude, offered Ivelise a huge bouquet of flowers. The woman teared up and gave into the beauty of a moment.
Ivelise was overcome with emotion at the thought that finally, she had managed to complete the act of kindness she thought was virtually impossible.
Birthday Gift
Although Linda could have gone through the effort of getting another snow globe engraved, it was the timing that was of utmost importance. She wanted the globe to be ready in time for her granddaughter Katie’s birthday!
It was a chain reaction of kindness. If Ivelise had not spoken up, if Rico had not sifted through the trash, the little girl would have never gotten her precious birthday gift!
Many Guests
That snow globe at been bought with the purest intentions as a sentimental gift for her granddaughter that lived far away, and Linda knew her gratitude alone was not enough to show Ivelise how much the kindness meant.
She wanted Ivelise to hear from someone other than her just how grateful she was about all the effort she went through to return her the snow globe and the impact she made, so Linda took out her cell phone and dialed.
Connecting the Family
The impact of the returned snow globe affected more than just Linda, it also affected her son, the guy that started it all when Ivelise and Rico saw him at the airport
It turns out that the when Ivelise spotted him in the security line, he was returning from a trip to his parents and on his way back home to Ohio with the package in hand to give to his daughter.
Welcome to The Family
There was even more to the story, that date inscribed on the snow globe, January 25thm was not a birthday as Rico and Ivelise had thought but was the date of Kate’s adoption and beginning of her life as a member of the family, For Linda and her husband, this was even more than a reminder of love tot heir granddaughter.
It was a gesture that showed Katie she would forever be part of their hearts and their family. Linda gave the phone to Ivelise, as she wondered what they would say.
Smiles All Round
Just when you thought the story couldn’t get any more heart-warming- on the other line was not just Michael, but little Katie herself joined the conversation! Ivelise heard as Linda told her they had retrieved the special package with her snow globe!
There could be no greater reward for Ivelise than hearing little Katie's excitement as she jumped up and down on the other end of the line.
Pure Instinct
For Ivelise, that day when she saw Michael in line at security devasted at the loss of his package, she went with her natural instincts to retrieve the package and start the chain of events that would lead to this day.
Now that the snow globe was back in safe hands all that was left to do was getting it to Katie. Linda summarized the whole event by describing Ivelise and stating, “People are basically really good, and she’s just exceptional”.
Public Reaffirmation
Ivelise posted the end of the happy story to her Facebook page and got some incredible feedback from people who have been following the story.
Not only did her post to find the owner of the snow globe go viral, but the comments on the story about the reunion went viral too with words of encouragement and awe streaming in.
A Blessing
Two years have passed since then and now Ivelise is carrying a child of her own! We know she will make one incredible mother judging by the acts of kindness she is always so ready to do and teach her child some amazing values.
